Urbanek places second

HAYS — Junior Keegan Urbanek took second place in the 190-lb. weight class at the 3-2-1A Wrestling State Championships at Fort Hays State University March 28-Feb. 1. The Ellsworth boys’ wrestling team took five wrestlers to state and placed ninth out of 65 teams, earning 53 points.

Wrestlers who competed were Urbanek, senior Will Donley, junior Micah Galvan and freshmen Walter Hulse and Bo Kyler.

Urbanek started by facing Douglass and winning with a 1:51 second fall.

He then beat Cimarron 6-0. His next opponent was Kingman, who he beat 7-4. In his final match for gold, he lost to Hoxie by a 1:54 fall. He placed second, and earned 22 points for the team.

Donley wrestled in the 138-lb. weight class. The tournament didn’t start out too well for him, as he was immediately annihilated by Norton 15-4 and moved into the consolation bracket. He responded by destroying St. Marys 9-0. He next beat Burlingame 2-0, then won against Minneapolis with 2-second fall. He faced the same person from Norton, and lost again 5-0. In his final match of his high school career, he beat Phillipsburg 4-0. He placed fifth, and earned 14 points for the team.

Galvan wrestled in the 175-lb. weight class. He started by winning against Riley County 8-3.

He then lost to Hoxie 4-1, and was moved into the consolation bracket.

In his final match, he beat Phillipsburg 8-2. He placed fifth, and earned 13 points for the team.

Kyler wrestled in the 150-lb. weight class. He started strong by obliterating Cherryvale 14-2. He then lost to Hoxie 7-3, and was moved into the consolation bracket. He then faced McLouth and won 7-2. Finally, he lost to WaKeeney-Trego with a 52-second takedown.

He earned 4 points for the team Hulse wrestled in the 106-lb. weight class. He was defeated by Leon-Bluestem 12-2 and was moved into the consolation bracket, where he was beat by St.John-Hudson 15-0.

Homolka places sixth

H— Senior Riley Rodriguez and sophomore Sophie Homolka competed at the 3-2-1A Wrestling State Championships at Fort Hays State University March 28-Feb. 1.

Homolka wrestled in the 145-lb. weight class. She started by beating Mound City-Jayhawk Linn 8-4. She then lost to Russell by a 1:41 takedown and was moved into the consolation bracket.

Next, she eviscerated Longton-Elk Valley 11-0. She continued by destroying McLouth 12-3. She then lost 11-8 to Plainville and to Rossville 10-6. She placed sixth and earned 13 points for the team.

Rodriguez wrestled in the 190-lb. weight class. She started by losing to Douglass 9-2 and was moved into the consolation bracket. She then beat Ellis 2-0. Finally, she was defeated by Hoisington 13-0. She earned 3 points for the team.